Says the Gemara:
תנו רבנן די מחסורו אתה מצווה עליו לפרנסו ואי אתה מצווה עליו לעשרו אשר יחסר לו אפילו סוס לרכוב עליו ועבד לרוץ לפניו אמרו עליו על הלל הזקן שלקח לעני בן טובים אחד סוס לרכוב עליו ועבד לרוץ לפניו פעם אחת לא מצא עבד לרוץ לפניו ורץ לפניו שלשה מילין:
Concerning this issue, the Sages taught: “Sufficient for his deficiency”; this teaches that you are commanded with respect to the pauper to support him, but you are not commanded with respect to him to make him wealthy, as the obligation encompasses only that which he lacks, as indicated by the word deficient. However, the verse also states: “Which is deficient for him”; this includes even a horse upon which to ride and a servant to run in front of him for the sake of his stature, if necessary. For someone accustomed to these advantages, their absences constitute a true deficiency, not an extravagant indulgence. The Gemara relates: They said about Hillel the Elder that he obtained for a poor person of noble descent a horse upon which to ride and a servant to run in front of him. One time he did not find a servant to run in front of him, and Hillel himself ran in front of him for three mil, to fulfill the dictate “which is deficient for him.” [Ksubos 67b]
To translate to our terms: If someone is used to going away for Pesach to a hotel and is unable to afford it, there is a mitzva of Tzdaka to send him to the Eden Roc or wherever - Miami Beach, Arizona, the South Of France etc.
This year there are people who have never had to make Pesach at home and this year they will be compelled to do so. We shouldn't make light of that. I am sorry for those people and I hope that they enjoy Pesach at home. They might find that they like it EVEN BETTER!!😃
I also ask mechila from those I might have offended in the past when discussing the whole "Pesach Program" issue. I was just troubled by the notion that so many don't have the basics while others are enjoying over the top vacations. I am not a socialist but Rashi [Shmos 22-24] haunts me:
"אם כסף תלוה את עמי את העני עמך".
"את העני עמך" - הוי מסתכל בעצמך כאלו אתה עני.
We have to empathize with the less fortunate.
